All general waste and recycling vehicles have gone out this morning. It is planned that bins from properties on main roads will be collected first, then estate and side roads later to allow the snow time to thaw.

If any roads are not accessible for the Council’s vehicles, revised collection details will be posted on this website later today.

Apprentices and Youth Training Trainees

You can be considered to be an apprentice, regardless of your age, if:

You are employed for the purpose of learning a trade or profession;

You are working towards a qualification accredited by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority;

You earn substantially less than the rate of pay a qualified person would receive; and

You earn no more than £195 per week.

You can be considered to be a youth training trainee if:

You are under 25; and

You are undergoing training through arrangements made under the Employment Training Act 1973 which is approved under section 29 of the Jobseekers Allowance Regulations 1996.

Apprentices and youth training trainees are disregarded when you are counting the number of adults in a property. If this means that only one person is counted, you will be entitled to a 25% discount from your Council Tax bill.

If no-one is counted because everyone resident is disregarded, you will be entitled to a 50% discount off your Council Tax.

The person who is highest in the liability hierarchy must make the application for a discount to the Council.

You must inform the Council if you are no longer entitled to a discount. We will take legal action against anyone who fraudulently claims a discount or exemption.